20 plants you can't be without

Every garden needs its stalwarts, says Carol Klein - just like the staples of a food cupboard or the basics of a wardrobe. These plants combine staying power and pulling power: they are easy to grow, last for ages and bring a wow factor to any border

Verbascum 'Gainsborough' The most charming of this large group of plants, all of which add important verticals among clump-forming perennials. Large, soft yellow flowers with an orange eye are just the ticket with pastel blues and lavenders.

Sanguisorba obtusa This outsider, formerly seldom used on the traditional perennial circuit, has been gaining popularity fast. Long lambs- tail fluffy flowers of deep pink persist for ages.

Rudbeckia fulgida x deamii Reliably produces sheets of exuberant yellow daisies with smart black centres from late summer to the frosts. Leave its cone-shaped seedheads for the birds - manna in early winter.

Anemone 'Snow Queen' A tall, white Japanese anemone lending the autumn border a real fillip, just as things are beginning to look a little tired. Easy to grow in sun or shade.

Primula vulgaris Our native primrose is unbeatable. Tuck it in among later-flowering perennials, where it will flower for two months in the spring and probably seed itself about gently. When the perennials grow up, they provide the summer shade it needs.

Galanthus nivalis The snowdrop is first up and best-dressed. As an incentive to taking an interest in the garden in midwinter, its carpets of white bells are unequalled. Gets better year by year.

Fritillaria meleagrisOr snake's head fritillary - a bulb that will seed itself around when happy. Its intricately tessellated bells make a quiet but charming contribution to the spring garden.

Crocosmia 'Solfatare' With straight, bronze, sword-like leaves and amber flowers, this is a treat as summer turns to autumn. Its corms can be divided in spring, the older ones discarded and the fat, young ones planted in fresh compost.

Euphorbia palustris The majority of the hardy spurges make good garden plants. This is surely the most outstanding, with large heads of gamboge-yellow flowers and striking foliage. It prefers damp soil, so if yours is on the dry side, go for the Mediterranean Euphorbia characias

Astrantia major A real bread-and- butter plant with cottagey connotations. Healthy clumps of dark green foliage and papery-bracted flowers give it a quiet charm. Usually green and white, there are several exciting cultivars with rich crimson flowers.

Arum italicum 'Pictum' A plant of two personas. In its winter and spring guise, its great arrowhead leaves are glossy green and strongly marbled with white. They die down during the summer and are superseded in early autumn by stems of vivid orangey-red berries.